Complicated Simplicity
by Caged Sparkle Black
Summary: A simple assignment turns Rafferty’s already complicated life upside down.


_**Simply Complicated**_

_Summary_: A simple assignment turns Rafferty's already complicated life upside down.

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**_A/N_**: I would love to think that no one has done a fanfiction such as this one, but there are so many out there now a days that this may be very unoriginal.

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**_Chapter One_**

"But I don't want to cover the band competition." A blonde prima donna named Cheyenne pouted.

Rafferty groaned in frustration and ran long fingers through her wavy brown hair, a calming habit of hers. This was an every budget meeting occurrence. Cheyenne refused to do every story assigned to her unless it dealt with cheerleading, a celebrity, or gossip.

"I'm not doing the article." Cheyenne claimed as she lazily crossed her overly tan arms.

"What _do_ you want to cover?" Sabrina, the managing editor, asked exasperated.

Cheyenne had already denied two news articles on the Dance team winning state and the wrestling team winning Regionals; as well as three features, Mr. McConnell's wood class, the chorus concert, and the wrestling team.

"Well," Her green eyes lit up as she straightened in her seat. "The cheerleading finals are this weekend at St. Louis University--"

Rafferty ceased running her fingers through her hair. She so wanted to grab her hair in frustration but decided against it. Instead, she decided to interject her authority. Sabrina and Cheyenne had despised each other since sixth grade and the hatred had not lightened if anything it had simmered and combusted every budget meeting and deadline.

"No, Cheyenne. You know you cannot cover the event. We've been over this for the past four years. As long as you are on the cheerleading squad, you cannot cover any cheerleading events. The paper's credibility and objectivity would be questioned and to be quite frank I don't want to risk that on a biased cheerleading article. The finals can be the topic of your monthly column or your weekly Blog and I have no doubt that it will."

"Why are you still here?" Cheyenne turned her head and looked coldly at Rafferty. Rafferty bit her tongue as too not reply.

"Seriously. You were supposed to graduate two years ago and yet you've been editor-in-chief for four years. Isn't there a rule against that?" Cheyenne paused and sneered. "If there isn't. There should be."

"Write a story about it, Cheyenne." Rafferty stated seemly detached. "Like every other article that is assigned to you, I doubt that any of the editors will ever see it."

Howie, the sports editor, coughed. Sabrina openly sniggered. Cheyenne glared at both Sabrina and Rafferty; the sentiment was returned by Sabrina.

After glancing at the digital clock mounted above the door, Rafferty announced. "We have twenty minutes left of class."

It was a standard for Rafferty and Sabrina that Sabrina would conduct the first half of the meeting with little input from Rafferty. Rafferty would conduct the last part with little or no input from Sabrina. In that way, Sabrina would not be overwhelmed next year when she took the coveted editor-in-chief position.

"Cara, you're covering what this issue?" Rafferty asked with a black ball point pen paused mere centimeters from the yellow legal pad.

To ask what a person was covering had been a meeting tactic that Rafferty had learned early on in her student journalism career. She, of course, knew what they were covering. Either she or another editor had assigned it but if the journalist verified the assignment then the person could not use the excuse "I didn't know I was assigned that," or her favorite "I thought (insert a fellow student journalist name) was covering it."

"The Dance team winning state and my monthly column." The brown eyed blonde senior replied.

"Jeff?"

"Basketball preview." The young blue eyed freshmen replied.

"Rae?"

"The chorus concert."

"La-wait, aren't you in chorus?" Rafferty looked at the grey eyed, brunette junior. She could have sworn that she was. She had sung the National Anthem at the Dance Team's District Championship.

"No. I'm in my church choir but not the school's."

"Oh. Sorry. You have a pretty voice so I thought you were."

"Thanks."

"Landra?"

"A feature on Mr. McConnell's woods class and my monthly column." The tall caramel senior replied.

Only seniors on the staff could write a monthly column. There were few exceptions to the unwritten rule. Such an exception was the student whom wrote the advice column Dear Hazel; she was a junior. Sabrina was an exception as well because she was the Managing Editor.

For the next fifteen minutes, Rafferty went down the list of staff writers and editors as she asked their assignments. The bell was two minutes from ringing when she got to Sabrina. The staff consisted of fifteen staff writers, ten editors, and five photographers. Ms. Jessup was the official advisor yet she usually left the class to Rafferty. Today, Ms. Jessup was at her desk grading papers.

"My monthly column, the assembly, and band competition." Sabrina replied bored at the thought. She blew her dark bangs out of her green eyes.

"I still do not have an assignment." Cheyenne interrupted.

"Cheyenne, I thought we agreed that you would do a story about how it is against the rules for me to be Editor-In-Chief for four years." Rafferty stated cooly.

"I'm not seriously going to waste my time writing an article about you. No one has been assigned the Cheerleading finals. It has to be covered."

"I am aware what has to be covered and what does not. I will cover the finals."

"That is so not right." Cheyenne replied outraged.

"How so?"

"You were co-captain of the cheerleading squad my sophomore year."

"That was two years ago." Sabrina pointed out.

"Cheyenne, I haven't been on the squad for three school years; not to be arrogant but the last time the school won state. There is no conflict of interest on my part. I've been a journalist for seven years, I know how to be objective." Rafferty sighed. This was getting old. She should be in her sophomore year at her dream school, NYU, yet she was a senior in high school.

"My grandfather will be hearing about this." Cheyenne promised. "You failed your junior and senior year but you're still editor-in-chief."

"Go tell the superintendent, I don't care. He is aware why I failed." The bell rung signaling that it was time to go to second block. "Now deal with your jealously else where." Rafferty cooly commanded.

"Everyone is aware of what they are assigned. The first deadline is Friday." Rafferty informed the staff. She watched as Cheyenne glared at her. "Is there something else?"

"What am I assigned?"

"I'm leaving that up to you. Choose the news article on the wrestling team or a feature on the Winter Ball."

"The feature on the Winter Ball. My name wouldn't be caught misspelled next to an article about the wrestling team."

"Fine. The Winter Ball it is." Rafferty muttered unsuprised as she rolled her blue eyes.

Cheyenne huffed and walked out of the class room while muttering about how Rafferty was a self righteous bitch. Sabrina sneered after the blonde.

"So who's covering the wrestling team?" Sabrina asked.

"I am."

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A/N: **_I was reading Meg Cabot's Teen Idol when the idea for this story came to me. This should not be conceived as a knock off or twisted versions of Teen Idol. Although, not a single wrestler is included in this first chapter, this is a wrestling fanfic. This is not a High School fanfic though some and perhaps half of the story will be set in one. 

I am not aware what the schedule for High School Wrestling is, i.e. when the season starts and ends or when the tournaments start; so please excuse any and all errors. If you do know the answers to those questions then by all means tell me and I will correct any and all errors.

All comments, suggestions, and speculations will be read with an open appreciative mind.

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_**No copyright and/or trademark infrigement was intended!**_


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